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Yes, you read that right: Angles isn’t just the equal of the band’s lightning-in-a-bottle debut of 2001, Is This It, it might be better. There are several moments here where the five-piece exhibit an infectious immediacy that’s presented in parallel with some genuine ingenuity, and the effect on the listener is to stop what they’re doing, focus fully on what’s unfolding, and then rewind to hear it over again. Take the strutting punk-funk bass of Two Kinds of Happiness – unremarkable in isolation, but soldered to sprightly percussion and real yearning in Julian Casablancas’ voice, as well as some frenetic six-string fret-work, it’s a vital constituent of a whole that’s fairly flabbergasting. If rendered graphically, one would have to picture early U2 and Talking Heads on a seesaw with The National acting as a fulcrum.
Taken for a Fool harks back in production tonality to the scratchy lo-fi charm of Is This It, but flexes significantly developed melodic muscles compared to a decade ago – this is a track, one amongst several, that will bury itself into one’s head for the long-term after even the most fleeting of encounters. It isn’t the only number here with a new-wave feel to it – and this move from 1970s garage revivalism to mining the cooler sounds of the 1980s for elements of inspiration pays serious dividends. Games opens like New Order in their prime, all glossy synths and solid bass, and closer Life is Simple in the Moonlight takes cool keyboards reminiscent of Scandinavian pop-experimentalists Mew and hits 88 miles per hour ‘til they’ve arrived back in 85. Casablancas doesn’t sound like a megastar at any point – he’s hungry, scrappy, like a newcomer ahead of the hype crest. For the first time since Is This It, he sounds a part of the gang rather than the stand-apart leader of it.
Truly, there’s so much to love about Angles that picking it apart seems as ridiculous as dissecting an expensive tray of chocolates, setting fillings aside from their delicious casings. They, like this record, taste far better with everything properly combined – and with all five members contributing, in harmony, The Strokes have here upped their own ante like nobody could have foreseen. Except for the band members themselves, of course. Prepare to be smitten anew.
--Mike Diver
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Customer Reviews
As soon as the first minute of album opener "Machu Picchu" had played ,it was clear that one of my favourite bands had indeed made a triumphant return.
Whilst it may lack the impact of "Is This It" as a groundbreaking album,it makes up for this with a more polished and at times,experimental sound.
Stand out tracks are "You're So Right" and "Games" but I cannot not really find a track I don't like.This album will break in like a new pair of shoes after a few listens.
If you like "The Strokes" you will like the album and if you are new to the band it will probably make you buy the earlier albums.
I only hope the next album doesn't take so long to release.
However, I lost the bug in the 5 year wait for Angles, as I found so many new bands coming up. Then, when Angles was released, I stupidly listened to the reviews and didn't buy it straight away.
BIG MISTAKE.
This is an amazing album. JC really perfects his song writing and vocals, and he has managed to write great parts for each instrument, not just for himself. Each song is absolute perfection, my favourite being Metabolism - when it gets to the end it is divine.
However, it's not like Is This It at all.
1) It's deeper. You have to listen to it a few times to fully appreciate it. But once you have gotten into it, you won't be able to put it off...
2) They're not anthems. Perhaps a couple are, but the Strokes have done the anthems thing and now it's time for them to experiment. And frankly, they did it great.
So please, I beg of you, buy this album and love it. God knows that I did.
If you love The Strokes or just a rock/indie fan, this album is a must-have.
So buy it! You have my recommendation :).
This is a review of the service not a novel.
I have been a Strokes fan for quite a while, very much enjoyed their last album First Impressions... Read more
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